KR20190105732A - Apparatus and method for determining beam index of antenna array - Google Patents

Abstract

An electronic device is disclosed. According to the present invention, the electronic device comprises: a first antenna array including a plurality of first antenna elements; a second antenna array including a plurality of second antenna elements; and a processor. The processor can be configured to measure first signal strength for each of a plurality of beam indices through the first antenna array and the second antenna array, determine second signal strength for each of the plurality of beam indices through the first antenna array, and determine a beam index having maximum signal strength based on a difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength corresponding to the beam index selected from the plurality of beam indices.

Description

Apparatus and method for determining the beam index of an antenna array {APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING BEAM INDEX OF ANTENNA ARRAY}

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to an apparatus and method for determining a beam index of an antenna array.

After commercialization of 4G (4th generation) communication system, 5G (premium 5G) communication system or pre-transmitting signals in and out of ultra-high frequency (mmWave) band (e.g. 20 GHz) to meet wireless data traffic demand 5G communication systems are being studied. Beamforming and antenna array techniques are being discussed in next generation (eg 5G) communication systems to prevent path loss of signals and to increase signal transmission distances in the ultra-high frequency band.

Beamforming may refer to a technique for controlling the transmitted or received signal to have directivity. The electronic device may determine an optimal beam by receiving signals (or beams) for each of the plurality of beam indices through the plurality of antennas (or antenna arrays) and measuring signal strength of the received beams. An operation of measuring the signal strength and determining an optimal beam for each beam index by the electronic device may be referred to as a beam measurement operation.

As the number of beam indices increases, the time required for the electronic device to perform a beam measurement operation may increase. Also, when the electronic device moves while the beam measuring operation is performed, the beam measuring result before the electronic device moves and the beam measuring result after the electronic device moves may be changed.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure may provide an apparatus and a method for efficiently determining a beam index using an antenna array.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device may include: a first antenna array including a plurality of first antenna elements; A second antenna array comprising a plurality of second antenna elements; And a processor, wherein the processor measures a first signal strength for each beam index through the first antenna array and the second antenna array, and measures the plurality of signals through the first antenna array. The second signal strength is determined for each beam index of the plurality of beam indexes, and if the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength corresponding to a beam index selected from the plurality of beam indexes is equal to or greater than a first threshold value specified, the plurality of beams The second signal is determined from among the plurality of beam indices when the beam index having the maximum signal strength is determined among the indices and the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength is less than the first threshold value. It may be set to determine the beam index whose intensity is maximum.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device may include a housing; An antenna structure comprising a first antenna array and a second antenna array; Three gigabytes by operatively connecting with the first antenna array and the second antenna array and forming a directional beam using at least a portion of the first antenna array or the second antenna array. Wireless communication circuitry configured to transmit or receive a signal having a frequency between Hertz (GHz) and 100 GHz, the wireless communication circuitry receiving signals via a plurality of combinations of the first antenna array and the second antenna array; Determine received signal strengths, select one of the combinations based on at least a portion of the received signal strength, and not the first antenna array for the selected combination; Determine a first received signal strength using the first antenna array for the selected combination; Determine a second received signal strength using the second antenna array, and determine one of the first antenna array and the second antenna array based on the first received signal strength and at least a portion of the second received signal strength. It can be set to select.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device may include a housing; An antenna structure comprising a first antenna array, a second antenna array, and a third antenna array; And operatively connected to the first antenna array, the second antenna array, and the third antenna array, using at least a portion of the first antenna array, the second antenna array, or the third antenna array. Wireless communication circuitry configured to transmit or receive a signal having a frequency between 3 GHz and 100 GHz by forming a directional beam, the wireless communication circuit comprising a plurality of first combinations of the first antenna array and the second antenna array; And a plurality of second combinations of the first antenna array and the third antenna array to determine the strength of a received signal and based on at least some of the received signal strengths. Select a combination of one of the second combinations of s and not the first antenna array for the selected combination; Determine a first received signal strength using an antenna array, determine a second received signal strength using the second antenna array rather than the first antenna array for the selected combination, and determine the first received signal strength and the The electronic device may be configured to select one of the first antenna array, the second antenna array, and the third antenna array based on at least a portion of the second received signal strength.

According to embodiments disclosed herein, the electronic device can reduce the time required for determining the beam index by using a combination of the first antenna array and the second antenna array.

In addition, various effects may be provided that are directly or indirectly identified through this document.

1 is a block diagram of an electronic device in a network environment according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
2 is a block diagram of an electronic device supporting 5G (5 ^th generation) communication according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
3 is a block diagram of a communication device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
4 illustrates an antenna array formed of one row or one column according to various embodiments.
5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an electronic device for determining a beam index based on a difference in signal strength according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an electronic device that determines a beam index based on a signal strength of a selected index and a signal strength of a previous index according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
7 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an electronic device for determining a beam index by comparing signal strength for each beam index according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
8 illustrates an example of an antenna array formed of a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns according to various embodiments.
9 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an electronic device for determining a beam index based on signal strengths of a first beam index group formed in a row and a second beam index group formed in a column according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an electronic device that determines a beam index by comparing signal strength with a threshold value for each beam index group according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
11 is a block diagram of an electronic device that supports diversity according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
12 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an electronic device that determines a beam index based on signal strengths of a plurality of communication devices according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
In connection with the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for the same or similar components.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, but it should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives of the embodiments of the present invention.

1 is a block diagram of an electronic device in a network environment according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1, in the network environment 100, the electronic device 101 communicates with the electronic device 102 through a first network 198 (for example, short-range wireless communication), or the second network 199 ( For example, it may communicate with the electronic device 104 or the server 108 through remote wireless communication. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 may communicate with the electronic device 104 through the server 108. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 may include a processor 120, a memory 130, an input device 150, an audio output device 155, a display device 160, an audio module 170, and a sensor module. 176, interface 177, haptic module 179, camera module 180, power management module 188, battery 189, communication module 190, subscriber identification module 196, and antenna module 197. ) May be included. In some embodiments, at least one of the components (for example, the display device 160 or the camera module 180) may be omitted or one or more other components may be added to the electronic device 101. In some embodiments, some of the components may be implemented in one integrated circuit. For example, the sensor module 176 (eg, fingerprint sensor, iris sensor, or illuminance sensor) may be implemented as embedded in the display device 160 (eg, display).

The processor 120 may drive at least one other component (eg, hardware or software component) of the electronic device 101 connected to the processor 120 by driving software (eg, the program 140). It can control and perform various data processing or operations. According to one embodiment, as at least part of the data processing or operation, the processor 120 may transmit the command or data received from another component (eg, the sensor module 176 or the communication module 190) to the volatile memory 132. Can be loaded into, processed in a command or data stored in volatile memory 132, and stored in the non-volatile memory (134). According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may include a main processor 121 (eg, a central processing unit or an application processor), and a coprocessor 123 (eg, a graphics processing unit, an image signal processor) that may be operated independently or together. , Sensor hub processor, or communication processor). Additionally or alternatively, the coprocessor 123 may be configured to use lower power than the main processor 121 or to be specialized for its designated function. The coprocessor 123 may be implemented separately from or as part of the main processor 121.

The coprocessor 123 may, for example, replace the main processor 121 while the main processor 121 is in an inactive (eg, sleep) state, or the main processor 121 is active (eg, performs an application). With the main processor 121 while in the state, at least one of the components of the electronic device 101 (eg, the display device 160, the sensor module 176, or the communication module 190) At least some of the related functions or states may be controlled. According to one embodiment, the coprocessor 123 (eg, image signal processor or communication processor) is implemented as some component of another functionally related component (eg, camera module 180 or communication module 190). Can be.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the memory 130 may include various data used by at least one component of the electronic device 101 (for example, the processor 120 or the sensor module 176), for example, software (for example, software). The program 140 may store input data or output data of the program 140 and a command related thereto. The memory 130 may include a volatile memory 132 or a nonvolatile memory 134.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the program 140 may be stored in the memory 130 as software. The program 140 may include, for example, an operating system 142, middleware 144, or an application 146.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the input device 150 may receive a command or data to be used for a component (eg, the processor 120) of the electronic device 101 from the outside (eg, a user) of the electronic device 101. have. The input device 150 may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, or a keyboard.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the sound output device 155 may output a sound signal to the outside of the electronic device 101. The sound output device 155 may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker may be used for general purposes such as multimedia playback or recording playback, and the receiver may be used to receive an incoming call. According to one embodiment, the receiver may be implemented separately from or as part of a speaker.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the display device 160 may visually provide information to the outside (eg, a user) of the electronic device 101. The display device 160 may include, for example, a display, a hologram device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling the device. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the display device 160 may include touch circuitry set to sense a touch, or sensor circuit (eg, a pressure sensor) set to measure the strength of a force generated by the touch. Can be.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the audio module 170 may convert sound into an electrical signal or, conversely, convert an electrical signal into a sound. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the audio module 170 may acquire sound through the input device 150, or may output an external electronic device (for example, a sound output device 155 or directly or wirelessly connected to the electronic device 101). Sound may be output through the electronic device 102 (for example, a speaker or a headphone).

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the sensor module 176 detects an operating state (eg, power or temperature) of the electronic device 101 or an external environmental state (eg, a user state), and corresponds to a detected state. You can generate signal or data values. The sensor module 176 may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, Or an illumination sensor.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the interface 177 may support one or more designated protocols that may be used for the electronic device 101 to be wired or wirelessly connected to an external electronic device (for example, the electronic device 102). The interface 177 may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the connection terminal 178 may include a connector through which the electronic device 101 may be physically connected to an external electronic device (eg, the electronic device 102). The connection terminal 178 may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (eg, a headphone connector).

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the haptic module 179 may convert an electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus (for example, vibration or movement) or an electrical stimulus that can be perceived by the user through the sense of touch or movement. The haptic module 179 may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the camera module 180 may capture still images and videos. According to an embodiment, the camera module 180 may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the power management module 188 may manage power supplied to the electronic device 101. The power management module 188 may be implemented, for example, as at least part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the battery 189 may supply power to at least one component of the electronic device 101. The battery 189 may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary cell, a rechargeable secondary cell, or a fuel cell.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the communication module 190 may directly (eg, wire) communicate between the electronic device 101 and an external electronic device (eg, the electronic device 102, the electronic device 104, or the server 108). It can support the establishment of a channel or a wireless communication channel, and performing communication through the established communication channel. The communication module 190 may operate independently of the processor 120 (eg, an application processor) and include one or more communication processors that support direct (eg, wired) or wireless communication. According to an embodiment, the communication module 190 may include a wireless communication module 192 (eg, a cellular communication module, a near field communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module 194 (eg, It may include a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module. The corresponding communication module of these communication modules may be a first network 198 (e.g., a short range communication network such as Bluetooth, WiFi direct, or an infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network 199 (e.g., a cellular network, the Internet, or Communicate with external electronic devices via a telecommunications network, such as a computer network (eg, LAN or WAN). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into one component (eg, a single chip) or may be implemented by a plurality of components (eg, a plurality of chips) separate from each other. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the wireless communication module 192 may use the first network 198 or the second network using subscriber information (eg, international mobile subscriberidentity (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module 196. The electronic device 101 may be identified and authenticated in a communication network such as the network 199.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the antenna module 197 may transmit a signal or power to an external device (for example, an external electronic device) or receive it from the external device. According to an embodiment, the antenna module 197 may include one or more antennas, from which at least one suitable for a communication scheme used in a communication network, such as the first network 198 or the second network 199. Antenna may be selected by the communication module 190, for example. The signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module 190 and the external electronic device through the at least one selected antenna.

Some of the components are connected to each other through a communication method (eg, a bus, a general purpose input / output (GPIO), a serial peripheral interface (SPI), or a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI)) between peripheral devices and a signal (eg, (Command or data) can be exchanged with each other.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the command or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device 101 and the external electronic device 104 through the server 108 connected to the second network 199. Each of the electronic devices 102 and 104 may be a device of the same or different type as the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, all or part of operations executed in the electronic device 101 may be executed in one or more external electronic devices among the external electronic devices 102, 104, or 108. For example, when the electronic device 101 needs to perform a function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device 101 instead of executing the function or service itself. Alternatively, one or more external electronic devices may be requested to perform at least a part of the function or the service. One or more external electronic devices that receive the request may execute at least a part of the requested function or service, or an additional function or service related to the request, and transmit the execution result to the electronic device 101. The electronic device 101 may process the received result as it is or additionally and provide it as at least part of a response to the request. To this end, for example, cloud computing, distributed computing, or client-server computing technology may be used.

2 is a block diagram of an electronic device supporting 5G communication according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

2, the electronic device 200 (eg, the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1) includes a housing 210, a processor 240 (eg, the processor 120 of FIG. 1), and a communication module 250. For example, the communication module 190 of FIG. 1, the first communication device 221, the second communication device 222, the third communication device 223, the fourth communication device 224, and the first conductive line ( 231, a second conductive line 232, a third conductive line 233, or a fourth conductive line 234.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the housing 210 may protect other components of the electronic device 200. The housing 210 is, for example, a front plate, a back plate facing away from the front plate, and attached to or formed integrally with the back plate, It may include a side member (or metal frame) surrounding the space between the plate and the back plate.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 200 may include a first communication device 221, a second communication device 222, a third communication device 223, or a fourth communication device 224.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first communication device 221, the second communication device 222, the third communication device 223, or the fourth communication device 224 may be located inside the housing 210. . According to an embodiment, when viewed from the front plate of the electronic device, the first communication device 221 may be disposed on the upper left side of the electronic device 200, and the second communication device 222 may be the electronic device 200. The third communication device 223 may be disposed at a lower left side of the electronic device 200, and the fourth communication device 224 may be disposed at a lower right side of the electronic device 200. Can be.

The configuration and number of communication devices 221, 222, 223, and 224 are not limited to the form of FIG. 2. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 200 may include a first communication device 221, a second communication device 222, and a third communication device 223. For example, based on the front plate of the electronic device 200, the first communication device 221 is at the upper left of the electronic device 200, and the second communication device 222 is at the upper right of the electronic device 200. In addition, the third communication device 223 may be disposed on the left side, the middle side, or the right side of the middle (or bottom) of the electronic device 200. In addition to the number and location of the communication devices 221, 222, 223, and 224 described above, the electronic device 200 may include various numbers of communication devices in the housing 210, and the communication devices 221, 222, 223. , 224 may be changed in various ways within the housing 210.

According to an embodiment, the processor 240 may include a central processing unit, an application processor (AP), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor of a camera, or a baseband processor (BP) (or It may include one or more of a communication processor (CP). According to an embodiment, the processor 240 may be implemented as a system on chip (SoC) or a system in package (SiP).

According to an embodiment, the communication module 250 may include a first conductive line 231, a second conductive line 232, a third conductive line 233, or a fourth conductive line 234. The communication device 221, the second communication device 222, the third communication device 223, and the fourth communication device 224 may be electrically connected to each other. The communication module 250 may include a BP, a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), or an intermediate frequency integrated circuit (IFIC). The communication module 250 may include a processor (eg, a BP) separate from the processor 240 (eg, an AP). The first conductive line 231, the second conductive line 232, the third conductive line 233, or the fourth conductive line 234 may be, for example, a coaxial cable or a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB). It may include.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the communication module 250 may include a first BP (not shown) or a second BP (not shown). The electronic device 200 may further include one or more interfaces for supporting inter-chip communication between the first BP (or the second BP) and the processor 240. The processor 240 and the first BP or the second BP may transmit and receive data using an inter-chip interface (eg, an inter processor communication channel).

According to an embodiment, the first BP or the second BP may provide an interface for communicating with other entities. The first BP may, for example, support wireless communication for a first network (not shown). The second BP may, for example, support wireless communication for a second network (not shown).

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first BP or the second BP may form one module with the processor 240. For example, the first BP or the second BP may be integrally formed with the processor 240. As another example, the first BP or the second BP may be disposed in one chip or may be formed in an independent chip form. According to an embodiment, the processor 240 and at least one BP (eg, the first BP) are integrally formed in one chip (eg, SoC chip), and the other BP (eg, the second BP) is an independent chip. It may be formed in the form.

According to an embodiment, the first network (not shown) or the second network (not shown) may correspond to the network 199 of FIG. 1. According to an embodiment, each of the first network (not shown) and the second network (not shown) may include a 4 ^th generation (4G) network and a 5 ^th generation (5G) network. 4G network, for instance, may support a LTE (long term evolution) protocol or LTE-A (long term evolution advanced ) defined in ^{3GPP (3 rd generation partnership project)} . 5G networks may support, for example, the new radio (NR) protocol as defined in 3GPP.

3 is a block diagram of a communication device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 3, the communication device 300 (eg, the first communication device 221, the second communication device 222, the third communication device 223, or the fourth communication device 224 of FIG. 2). May include a communication circuit 330 (eg, RFIC), printed circuit board (PCB) 350, at least one antenna array (eg, first antenna array 340, or second antenna array 345). Can be.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication circuit or at least one antenna array may be located on the PCB 350. For example, a first antenna array 340 or a second antenna array 345 is disposed on a first side of the PCB 350, and a communication circuit 330 is positioned on the second side of the PCB 350. Can be. PCB 350 uses a transmission line (e.g., conductive lines 231, 232, 233, 234 of FIG. 2, or a coaxial cable) to place another PCB (e.g., communication module 250 of FIG. 2). ) May include a coaxial cable connector or a board to board (B-to-B) connector for electrical connection. The PCB 350 is connected to, for example, a coaxial cable with a PCB on which the communication module 250 is disposed using a coaxial cable connector, and the coaxial cable is a transmit and receive intermediate frequency (IF) signal or a radio frequency (RF) signal. It can be used for the delivery of. As another example, power or other control signals may be transmitted through the B-to-B connector.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first antenna array 340 or the second antenna array 345 may include a plurality of antenna elements. The plurality of antenna elements may comprise a patch antenna (or conductive plate), or a dipole antenna. For example, the antenna element included in the first antenna array 340 may be a patch antenna for forming a beam toward the rear plate of the electronic device 200. As another example, the antenna element included in the second antenna array 345 may be a dipole antenna for forming a beam toward the side member of the electronic device 200. According to an embodiment, the antenna structure may include a first antenna array 340 or a second antenna array 345.

According to an embodiment, the communication circuit 330 may support a radio frequency signal of 3 GHz to 100 GHz. According to an embodiment, the communication circuit 330 may upconvert or downconvert the frequency. For example, the communication circuit 330 included in the first communication device 221 may up-convert the IF signal received from the communication module 250 through the first conductive line 231. As another example, the communication circuit 330 down-converts the millimeter wave (mmWave) signal received through the first antenna array 340 or the second antenna array 345 included in the first communication device 221 and down. The converted signal may be transmitted to the communication module 250 using the first conductive line 231.

4 illustrates an antenna array formed of one row or one column according to various embodiments. The number of antenna elements shown in FIG. 4 is merely an example, and the number of antenna elements may be two or more.

Referring to FIG. 4, the first antenna array 340 and the second antenna array 345 may be formed in one column as shown by reference numeral 401 or in one row as indicated by reference numeral 402. The first antenna array 340 may include a plurality of first antenna elements 440-1, 440-2, 440-3, and 440-4. According to an embodiment, the plurality of first antenna elements 440-1, 440-2, 440-3, and 440-4 may include a patch antenna. The second antenna array 345 may include a plurality of second antenna elements 445-1, 445-2, 445-3, and 445-4. According to an embodiment, the plurality of second antenna elements 445-1, 445-2, 445-3, and 445-4 may include a dipole antenna.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device 200 may include a plurality of first antenna elements 440-1, 440-2, 440-3, and 440-4 or a plurality of second antenna elements 445-1 and 445. -2, 445-3, 445-4 can be used to control the directionality (eg, phase) of the transmitted or received signal. In this document, a technique of controlling the directivity of a signal by the electronic device 200 may be referred to as beamforming.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 200 may operate through the first antenna array 340 or the second antenna array 345 (or a combination of the first antenna array 340 and the second antenna array 345). The strength of a signal may be measured for each beam index, and an optimal beam index may be determined based on the strength of the signal. The beam index indexes, for example, a group of phase difference values corresponding to the angle of one beam in a look-up table that stores phase differences between signals fed to each antenna element according to the angle of the beam. Can be a value. For example, the signal strength may include signal to noise ratio (SNR), signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR), reference signals received power (RSRP), received signal code power (RSCP), and beam reference signal received power (BRSRP). Or it may include a received signal strength indicator (RSSI).

In this document, the signal strength measured through the first antenna array 340 and the second antenna array 345 may be referred to as a first signal strength (or first received signal strength). For example, the electronic device 200 may simultaneously activate the first antenna array 340 and the second antenna array 345 and measure the first signal strength. In this document, the signal strength measured through the first antenna array 340 may be referred to as a second signal strength (or second received signal strength). For example, the electronic device 200 may measure the second signal strength through the first antenna array 340 while the second antenna array 345 is inactive.

5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an electronic device 200 that determines a beam index based on a difference in signal strength according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Operations described below may be performed by a processor included in the electronic device 200, the processor 240, or the communication module 250.

Referring to FIG. 5, in operation 505 of the method 500 for determining a beam index, the processor 240 may measure signal strength for each beam index through the first antenna array 340 and the second antenna array 345. have.

In operation 510, the processor 240 may measure signal strength for each beam index through the first antenna array 340. For example, the processor 240 may measure signal strength in a state in which the second antenna array 345 is inactivated.

According to an embodiment, the first signal strength or the second signal strength may be expressed as SNR, SINR, RSRP, RSCP, BRSRP, or RSSI. Although not shown in FIG. 5, the processor 240 may store the first signal strength values or the second signal strength values measured for each beam index.

In operation 515, the processor 240 may select one beam index among the plurality of beam indexes. For example, the processor 240 may randomly select one beam index among a plurality of beam indices, or select a minimum beam index or a maximum beam index.

In operation 520, the processor 240 may determine whether a difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength corresponding to the selected beam index is greater than or equal to a specified first threshold value. The first threshold value may be referred to as an offset, for example. If the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength is greater than or equal to the first threshold value, in operation 525, the processor 240 may determine a beam index having the largest first signal strength among the beam indices. For example, the processor 240 may determine a beam formed by the first antenna array 340 and the second antenna array 345 of FIG. 4. According to an embodiment, although not shown in FIG. 5, the processor 240 may determine a beam formed only of the second antenna array 345 among beam indexes having the maximum first signal strength. If the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength is less than the first threshold value, the processor 240 may perform operation 530.

In operation 530, the processor 240 may determine whether all beam indices are selected. If the processor 240 did not select all beam indices, the processor 240 may repeatedly perform operations 515 and 520. If the processor 240 selects all the beam indices, in operation 535, the processor 240 may determine a beam index having the largest second signal strength among the beam indices. The beam index having the maximum second signal strength may represent a beam formed only of the first antenna array 340 in a state in which the second antenna array 345 of FIG. 4 is inactivated. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor 240 may perform operation 535 without performing operation 530. For example, if the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength is less than the first threshold value, the processor 240 may determine a beam index having the largest second signal strength among the beam indices.

Through the method 500 described above, the electronic device 200 may reduce the time required to determine the optimal beam index.

6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an electronic device 200 that determines a beam index based on a difference between a signal strength of a selected beam index and a signal strength of a previous beam index, according to various embodiments. The operations shown in FIG. 6 may be performed after operations 505 and 510 of FIG. 5.

Referring to FIG. 6, in operation 605 of the method 600 for determining a beam index using a previous beam index, the processor 240 may determine one beam index among a plurality of beam indexes. In operation 610, the processor 240 may determine whether a difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength corresponding to the selected beam index is greater than or equal to a specified first threshold value. If the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength is greater than or equal to the first threshold value, in operation 615, the processor 240 may determine a beam index having the largest first signal strength among the plurality of beam indices. For example, the processor 240 may determine a beam formed by the first antenna array 340 and the second antenna array 345 of FIG. 4. According to an embodiment, although not shown in FIG. 5, the processor 240 may determine a beam formed only of the second antenna array 345 among beam indexes having the maximum first signal strength. If the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength is less than the first threshold value, the processor 240 may perform operation 620.

In operation 620, the processor 240 may determine whether a difference between the second signal strength of the selected beam index and the second signal strength of the previously selected beam index is greater than or equal to a specified second threshold value. If the difference between the second signal strength of the selected beam index and the second signal strength of the previously selected beam index is less than the second threshold, the processor 240 may perform operations 605 and excluding the previously selected beam index. Operation 610 may be repeatedly performed. If the difference between the second signal strength of the selected beam index and the second signal strength of the previously selected beam index is greater than or equal to the second threshold, in operation 625, the processor 240 may use the selected beam index. For example, the processor 240 may select the index (selected index) as the best beam index at the present time.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor 240 may determine the beam index using the first signal strength value instead of the second signal strength value in operation 620. For example, the processor 240 may repeatedly perform operations 605 and 610 when the difference between the first signal strength of the selected beam index and the first signal strength of the previously selected beam index is less than the second threshold value. If the difference between the first signal strength of the selected beam index and the first signal strength of the previously selected beam index is greater than or equal to the second threshold, the processor 240 determines that the beam index is the beam index of the signal with the highest signal strength. Can be.

7 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an electronic device 200 that determines a beam index by comparing signal strength for each beam index according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment in which the electronic device 200 simultaneously measures and compares the first signal strength and the second signal strength for each beam index.

Referring to FIG. 7, in operation 705 of a method 700 for comparing signal strength for each beam index, the processor 240 may select one beam index from among a plurality of beam indices. For example, the processor 240 may randomly select one beam index from among the plurality of beam indices, or select a minimum beam index or a maximum beam index.

In operation 710, the processor 240 may measure the first signal strength with respect to the selected beam index through the first antenna array 340 and the second antenna array 345. For example, the processor 240 may simultaneously activate the first antenna array 340 and the second antenna array 345 and measure the first signal strength.

In operation 715, the processor 240 may measure the second signal strength with respect to the selected beam index through the first antenna array 340. For example, the processor 240 may measure the second signal strength through the first antenna array 340 while the second antenna array 345 is deactivated.

In operation 720, the processor 240 may determine whether a difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength is greater than or equal to a specified first threshold value. If the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength is greater than or equal to the first threshold value, the processor 240 may use the selected beam index in operation 725. For example, the processor 240 may determine a beam formed by the first antenna array 340 and the second antenna array 345 of FIG. 4. According to an embodiment, although not illustrated in FIG. 7, the processor 240 may determine a beam formed only of the second antenna array 345 among beam indexes having the maximum first signal strength. If the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength is less than the first threshold value, the processor 240 may perform operation 730.

In operation 730, the processor 240 may determine whether a difference between the second signal strength of the selected beam index and the second signal strength of the previously selected beam index is greater than or equal to a specified second threshold value. If the difference between the second signal strength of the selected beam index and the second signal strength of the previously selected beam index is less than the second threshold value, the processor 240 repeatedly performs operations 705, 710, 715, and 720. can do. If the difference between the second signal strength of the selected beam index and the second signal strength of the previously selected beam index is greater than or equal to the specified second threshold value, then in operation 735 the processor 240 may determine that the second signal strength among the selected beam indices is the largest. The beam index can be determined. According to one embodiment, the processor 240 replaces the second signal strength of the selected beam index and the second signal strength of the previously selected beam index, with the first signal strength of the selected beam index and the first of the previously selected beam index. You can compare signal strengths.

8 illustrates an example of an antenna array formed of a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns according to various embodiments. The number of antenna elements, rows, and columns shown in FIG. 8 is merely an example, and the number of antenna elements, rows, and columns may be two or more.

Referring to FIG. 8, the communication device 800 (eg, the communication device 300 of FIG. 3) includes a first antenna array 340, a second antenna array 345, or a third antenna array 355. can do. The second antenna array 345 can include a plurality of second antenna elements 445-1, 445-2, 445-3, and 445-4 formed in parallel with the columns of the first antenna array 340. have. The third antenna array 355 can include a plurality of second antenna elements 455-1, 455-2, 455-3, and 455-4 formed in parallel with the row of the first antenna array 340. Can be.

According to an embodiment, the first antenna element 340 may include first antenna element groups (eg, first antenna element group 840-1, 840-2, 840-3, or 840-4) formed in rows. ) And second antenna element groups (eg, second antenna element group 840-5, 840-6, 840-7, or 840-8) formed in a column. The number of antenna elements (eg, antenna element 850) included in the first antenna element group or the second antenna element group, the number of first antenna element groups, or the number of second antenna element groups is shown in FIG. 8. The example is not limited thereto.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device 200 may measure signal strength for each of the first beam index group and the second beam index group. The beam index group may represent, for example, a beam formed in the horizontal direction or a beam formed in the vertical direction. For example, when the electronic device 200 forms a beam in a horizontal direction (when forming a beam corresponding to the first beam index group), the electronic device 200 moves in a row from the first antenna array 340. At least one of the formed first antenna element groups 840-1, 840-2, 840-3, and 840-4 and second antenna elements 445-1 included in the second antenna array 345. , 445-2, 445-3, and 445-4) can be activated and the received signal strength can be measured. In another example, when the electronic device 200 forms a beam in a vertical direction (when forming a beam corresponding to the second beam index group), the electronic device 200 is connected to heat in the first antenna array 340. At least one of the formed second antenna element groups 840-5, 840-6, 840-7, and 840-8 and second antenna elements 455-1 included in the third antenna array 355. , 455-2, 455-3, and 455-4) can be activated and the received signal strength can be measured.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device 200 may include a first beam index group having a maximum signal strength among a plurality of first beam index groups, and a second beam having a maximum signal strength among a plurality of second beam index groups. The beam index having the maximum signal strength may be determined based on the index group. For example, the signal strength of the first beam index group corresponding to the first antenna element group 840-1 among the first beam index groups is maximum, and the antenna element group 840-2 among the second beam index groups. If the signal strength of the second beam index group corresponding to the maximum is maximum, the electronic device 200 determines the beam index of the antenna element 850 where the antenna element group 840-1 and the antenna element group 840-2 cross each other. Can be determined as the optimal beam index.

9 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an electronic device 200 that determines a beam index based on signal strengths of a first beam index group formed in a row and a second beam index group formed in a column according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The operations shown in FIG. 9 may be performed after operations 505 and 510 of FIG. 5.

Referring to FIG. 9, in operation 905 of method 900, the processor 240 may select one beam index from among the plurality of beam indexes. In operation 910, the processor 240 may determine whether a difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength corresponding to the selected beam index is greater than or equal to a specified first threshold value. If the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength is greater than or equal to the first threshold value, in operation 915, the processor 240 may determine a beam index having the largest first signal strength among the beam indices. For example, the processor 240 may determine a beam formed by the first antenna array 340 and the second antenna array 345 of FIG. 4. According to an embodiment, although not illustrated in FIG. 9, the processor 240 may determine a beam formed only of the second antenna array 345 among beam indexes having the maximum first signal strength. If the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength is less than the first threshold value, the processor 240 may perform operation 920.

In operation 920, the processor 240 may select a first beam index group having a maximum signal strength (for example, a first signal strength or a second signal strength) from among the plurality of first beam index groups. In operation 925, the processor 240 may select a second beam index group having a maximum signal strength among the plurality of second beam index groups. In operation 930, the processor 240 may determine an optimal beam index based on the first beam index group having the maximum signal strength and the second beam index group having the maximum signal strength. For example, the processor 240 may determine a beam index at which the first beam index group having the maximum signal strength and the second beam index group having the maximum signal strength intersect.

10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an electronic device 200 that determines a beam index by comparing signal strength with a threshold value for each beam index group according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The operations shown in FIG. 10 may be performed after operations 505 and 510 of FIG. 5.

Referring to FIG. 10, in operation 1005 of method 1000, the processor 240 may select one first beam index group from among the first beam index groups. In operation 1005, the processor 240 may select one second beam index group from among the second beam index groups.

In operation 1015, the processor 240 may determine whether the signal strength of the first beam index group is greater than or equal to the designated third threshold value and the signal strength of the second beam index group is greater than or equal to the specified fourth threshold value. If at least one of the two conditions is not satisfied, the processor 240 may repeatedly perform operations 1005, 1010, and 1015. If both conditions are satisfied, the processor 240 may perform operation 1020.

In operation 1020, the processor 240 may determine a beam index of a signal having a maximum signal strength based on the selected first beam index group and the selected second beam index group. For example, the processor 240 may determine a beam index at which the first beam index group and the second beam index group cross each other.

11 is a block diagram of an electronic device that supports diversity according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 11, the electronic device 200 may support diversity. For example, the electronic device 200 may allocate only the horizontal beams 1101 to the first communication device 221 and only the vertical beams 1102 to the second communication device 222. 11 illustrates an embodiment in which diversity technology is applied to the first communication device 221 and the second communication device 222, but a similar principle is applied to the third communication device 223 and the fourth communication device 224. Can be applied.

12 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an electronic device 200 that determines a beam index based on signal strengths of a plurality of communication devices according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 12, in operation 1205 of the method 1200, the processor 240 may measure the first signal strength and the second signal strength for each beam index through the first communication device 221. For example, the processor 240 may perform a first operation through a first antenna array (eg, the first antenna array 340 of FIG. 4) and a second antenna array (eg, the second antenna array 345 of FIG. 4). The signal strength may be measured, and the second signal strength may be measured through the first antenna array. In operation 1210, the processor 240 may select one beam index among the plurality of beam indexes. In operation 1215, the processor 240 may determine whether a difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength corresponding to the selected beam index is greater than or equal to the first threshold value. If the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength is greater than or equal to the first threshold value, in operation 1220, the processor 240 may generate a signal having the maximum signal strength among the first signal strengths measured by the first communication device 221. It is possible to determine the beam index of.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor 240 may determine a beam index through the second communication device by applying a principle similar to those of operations 1205 to 1220. In operation 1225, the processor 240 may measure the first signal strength and the second signal strength for each beam index through the second communication device 222. In operation 1230, the processor 240 may select one beam index among the plurality of beam indexes. In operation 1235, the processor 240 determines whether a difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength corresponding to the selected beam index is greater than or equal to the first threshold value, and the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength is determined. If the value is equal to or greater than the first threshold value, in operation 1240, the processor 240 may determine a beam index of a signal having the maximum signal strength among the first signal strengths measured by the second communication device 222.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, operations 1205 to 1220 performed using the first communication device and operations 1225 to 1240 performed using the second communication device may be simultaneously performed. According to another embodiment, the processor 240 may perform operations 1225 to 1240 after performing operations 1205 to 1220. According to another embodiment, the processor 240 may perform operations 1205 to 1220 after performing operations 1225 to 1240.

According to an embodiment, the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength measured by the first communication device 221 is less than the first threshold value, and the first signal measured by the second communication device 222. If the difference between the strength and the second signal strength is less than the first threshold value, the processor 240 may perform operation 1245.

In operation 1245, the processor 240 may determine a beam index having a maximum signal strength through the first antenna array in the first communication device 221. For example, the processor 240 may determine an optimal beam index based on the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength as described in FIG. 5. In another example, the processor 240 may optimize the signal based on the difference between the signal strength of the selected beam index (eg, the first signal strength or the second signal strength) and the signal strength of the previous beam index as described in FIG. 6. The beam index can be determined. In another example, when the first antenna array is formed of a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, the processor 240 compares the optimal first beam index group and the optimal second beam index group as shown in FIG. 9. By doing so, an optimal beam index can be determined. In another example, when the first antenna array is formed of a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, the processor 240 may determine the signal strength of the selected first beam index group and the selected second beam index group as shown in FIG. 10. The optimal beam index may be determined based on whether the signal strength is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value (eg, the third threshold value or the fourth threshold value).

In operation 1250, the processor 240 may determine a beam index having a maximum signal strength through the first antenna array in the second communication device 222. For example, the processor 240 may be based on the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength, or the signal strength of the selected beam index (eg, the first signal strength or the second signal strength) and the signal strength of the previous beam index. A threshold value based on a difference of or comparing the optimal first beam index group and the optimal second beam index group, or the signal strength of the selected first beam index group and the signal strength of the selected second beam index group, respectively; The optimal beam index can be determined based on whether the error is abnormal.

In operation 1255, the processor 240 may determine an optimal beam index by comparing the beam index selected at the first communication device with the beam index selected at the second communication device.

As described above, the electronic device (eg, the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1) may include a plurality of first antenna elements (eg, first antenna elements 440-1, 440-2, and 440-3 of FIG. 4). 440-4), a first antenna array (eg, the first antenna array 340 of FIG. 3), and a plurality of second antenna elements (eg, the second antenna elements 445-1 of FIG. 4). A second antenna array (eg, the second antenna array 345 of FIG. 3), and a processor (eg, the processor 120 of FIG. 1) The processor may include measuring a first signal strength for each beam index through the first antenna array and the second antenna array, and measuring the plurality of beam indexes through the first antenna array. Determine a second signal strength for each of the plurality of beam indexes, and specify a difference between a first signal strength and a second signal strength corresponding to a beam index selected from the plurality of beam indices; If it is greater than or equal to one threshold value, a beam index of which the first signal strength is maximum is determined among the plurality of beam indices, and if the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength is less than the first threshold value, Among the plurality of beam indices, the second signal strength may be set to determine a beam index having a maximum value.

According to an embodiment, the signal strength may include a signal to noise ratio (SNR), reference signals received power (RSRP), received signal code power (RSCP), BRSRP, or received signal strength indicator (RSSI).

According to an embodiment, the plurality of first antenna elements may include a patch antenna, and the plurality of second antenna elements may include a dipole antenna.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, if the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength is less than the first threshold value, the processor determines whether all of the plurality of beam indices are selected, and the plurality of beams If all of the indices are selected, the second index may be set to determine a beam index having the largest second signal strength among the plurality of beam indices.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, if the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength is less than the first threshold value, the processor may further include the second signal strength of the selected beam index and the second signal strength of a previous beam index. Determine whether the difference is greater than or equal to a specified second threshold value, and if the difference between the second signal strength of the selected beam index and the second signal strength of the previous beam index is greater than or equal to the second threshold value, the plurality of beam indexes Determine a beam index of which the second signal strength is the maximum among the values, and if the difference between the second signal strength of the selected beam index and the second signal strength of the previous beam index is less than the second threshold value; The index may be set to determine the beam index having the maximum signal strength.

According to an embodiment, the first antenna array may include antenna elements formed of a plurality of rows (eg, the first antenna element groups 840-1, 840-2, 840-3, 840-4) and antenna elements formed in a plurality of columns (eg, the second antenna element groups 840-5, 840-6, 840-7, and 840-8 of FIG. 8). The processor may further determine that the signal strength is the maximum among the first beam index groups corresponding to the antenna elements formed in the row when the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength is less than the first threshold value. Determine a first beam index group, determine a second beam index group having a maximum signal strength among second beam index groups corresponding to antenna elements formed in columns, and determine the determined first beam index group and the determined second Based on the 2 beam index group, the beam index with the maximum signal strength It can be set to determine.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first antenna array may include antenna elements formed in a plurality of rows and antenna elements formed in a plurality of columns, and the processor may further include the first signal strength and the second signal strength. If the difference is less than the first threshold value, select one first beam index group among the first beam index groups corresponding to the antenna elements formed in the row, and the second beam corresponding to the antenna elements formed in the column. A fourth threshold value selected from among the index groups, the signal strength of the selected first beam index group being greater than or equal to a specified third threshold, and the signal strength of the selected second beam index group being specified; If not equal to, a beam index having a maximum signal strength based on the selected first beam index group and the selected second beam index group. It can be set to forward.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device may include a plurality of third antenna elements (eg, second antenna elements 455-1, 455-2, 455-3, and 455-4 of FIG. 8). And a third antenna array (eg, the third antenna array 355 of FIG. 8), wherein the processor is further configured to: if the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength is less than the first threshold value; Determine a beam index with a maximum signal strength at one antenna array, determine a beam index with a maximum signal strength at the third antenna array, and at the beam index and at the third antenna array selected at the first antenna array It may be set to determine a beam index of the maximum signal strength among the selected beam index.

As described above, the electronic device (eg, the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1) may include a housing (eg, the housing 210 of FIG. 2) and a first antenna array (eg, the first antenna array 340 of FIG. 3). And an antenna structure including a second antenna array (eg, the second antenna array 345 of FIG. 3), and operatively connected to the first antenna array and the second antenna array (operatively). connected), a radio configured to transmit or receive a signal having a frequency between 3 GHz and 100 GHz by forming a directional beam using at least a portion of the first antenna array or the second antenna array A communication circuit (eg, the communication circuit 330 of FIG. 3), wherein the wireless communication circuitry receives received signal strengths through a plurality of combinations of the first antenna array and the second antenna array. Determine the award Select a combination of one of the combinations based on at least a portion of the received signal strength, determine a first received signal strength using the second antenna array other than the first antenna array for the selected combination, and Determine a second received signal strength using the second antenna array, rather than the first antenna array, for the selected combination and based on the first received signal strength and at least a portion of the second received signal strength The antenna array may be configured to select one of the antenna array and the second antenna array.

According to an embodiment, the first antenna array may be on a first plane, and the second antenna array may be on a second plane different from the first plane.

According to an embodiment, the first antenna array may include a plurality of conductive plates, and the second antenna array may include a plurality of dipole antennas.

According to one embodiment, the first antenna array may be oriented to produce a beam in a first direction, and the second antenna array may be oriented to generate a beam in a second direction different from the first direction. have.

According to one embodiment, the first direction may be substantially perpendicular to the second direction.

According to an embodiment, the first received signal strength or the second received signal strength may include SNR, RSRP, RSCP, BRSRP, or RSSI.

According to an embodiment, the first antenna array may include antenna elements formed in a plurality of rows (eg, the first antenna element groups 840-1, 840-2, 840-3, and 840-4 in FIG. 8). ) And antenna elements formed in a plurality of columns (eg, the second antenna element groups 840-5, 840-6, 840-7, and 840-8 of FIG. 8). When the difference between the first received signal strength and the second received signal strength is less than a first threshold value, a first beam index having a maximum signal strength among first beam index groups corresponding to antenna elements formed in a row; Determine a group, determine a second beam index group having a maximum signal strength among second beam index groups corresponding to antenna elements formed in columns, and determine the determined first beam index group and the determined second beam index group Based on the beam index with the maximum signal strength It can be configured to determine.

As described above, the electronic device (eg, the electronic device 101 of FIG. 1) may include a housing (eg, the housing 210 of FIG. 2) and a first antenna array (eg, the first antenna array 340 of FIG. 3). ), A second antenna array (eg, second antenna array 345 of FIG. 3), and a third antenna array (eg, third antenna array 355 of FIG. 8), and the first Is operatively connected to an antenna array, the second antenna array, and the third antenna array, and forms a directional beam using at least a portion of the first antenna array, the second antenna array, or the third antenna array. Wireless communication circuitry (eg, communication circuitry 330 of FIG. 3) configured to transmit or receive a signal having a frequency between 3 GHz and 100 GHz, wherein the wireless communication circuitry comprises: the first antenna array and the second antenna; A plurality of first combinations of the antenna array and the first Determine the strength of the received signal through the plurality of second combinations of the antenna array and the third antenna array, wherein the plurality of first combinations or the plurality of second combinations are based on at least some of the received signal strengths; Select a combination, determine a first received signal strength using the second antenna array that is not the first antenna array for the selected combination, and not the first antenna array for the selected combination; Determine a second received signal strength using a second antenna array, and based on the first received signal strength and at least a portion of the second received signal strength, the first antenna array, the second antenna array, and the third It may be set to select one of the antenna arrays.

According to an embodiment, the first antenna array may be on a first plane, and the second antenna array may be on a second plane different from the first plane.

According to an embodiment, the first antenna array may include a plurality of conductive plates, and the second antenna array and the third antenna array may include a plurality of dipole antennas.

According to one embodiment, the first antenna array is oriented to produce a beam in a first direction, the second antenna array is oriented to generate a beam in a second direction different from the first direction, The third antenna array may be oriented to generate a beam in a third direction different from the first direction and the second direction.

According to an embodiment, the first received signal strength, the second received signal strength, or the third received signal strength may include SNR, RSRP, RSCP, BRSRP, or RSSI.

Electronic devices according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be various types of devices. The electronic device may include, for example, at least one of a portable communication device (eg, a smartphone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a home appliance. An electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described devices.

Various embodiments of the present document and terms used therein are not intended to limit the techniques described in this document to specific embodiments, but should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, and / or substitutes of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar components. Singular expressions may include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this document, expressions such as "A or B", "at least one of A and / or B", "A, B or C" or "at least one of A, B and / or C", etc. Possible combinations may be included. Expressions such as "first," "second," "first," or "second," etc. may modify the components in any order or importance, and are only used to distinguish one component from another. It does not limit the components. When any (eg first) component is said to be "(functionally or communicatively)" or "connected" to another (eg second) component, the other component is said other The component may be directly connected or connected through another component (eg, a third component).

As used herein, the term "module" includes a unit composed of hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic blocks, components, or circuits. The module may be an integrally formed part or a minimum unit or part of performing one or more functions. For example, the module may be configured as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

Various embodiments of the present disclosure may include instructions stored in a machine-readable storage media (eg, internal memory 136 or external memory 138) that can be read by a machine (eg, a computer). It may be implemented in software (eg, program 140). The device may be a device capable of calling a stored command from a storage medium and operating in accordance with the called command, and may include an electronic device (eg, the electronic device 101) according to the disclosed embodiments. When the command is executed by a processor (for example, the processor 120), the processor may perform a function corresponding to the command directly or by using other components under the control of the processor. The instructions can include code generated or executed by a compiler or interpreter. The device-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-temporary' means that the storage medium does not include a signal and is tangible, and does not distinguish that data is stored semi-permanently or temporarily on the storage medium.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between the seller and the buyer as a product. The computer program product may be distributed online in the form of a device-readable storage medium (eg compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)) or through an application store (eg play store ^TM ). In the case of an online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be stored at least temporarily or temporarily created in a storage medium such as a server of a manufacturer, a server of an application store, or a relay server.

Each component (for example, a module or a program) according to various embodiments may be composed of a singular or plural number of objects, and some of the above-described subcomponents may be omitted, or other subcomponents may vary. It may be further included in the embodiment. Alternatively or additionally, some components (eg, modules or programs) may be integrated into one entity to perform the same or similar functions performed by each corresponding component prior to integration. According to various embodiments, operations performed by a module, program, or other component may be executed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or at least some operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or another operation may be added. Can be.

Claims (20)

In an electronic device,
A first antenna array comprising a plurality of first antenna elements;
A second antenna array comprising a plurality of second antenna elements; And
A processor, wherein the processor,
Measuring a first signal strength for each beam index through the first antenna array and the second antenna array;
Determine a second signal strength for each of the plurality of beam indices through the first antenna array,
When the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength corresponding to the selected beam index among the plurality of beam indexes is greater than or equal to a specified first threshold value, the beam index having the largest first signal strength among the plurality of beam indexes Determine, and
And if the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength is less than the first threshold value, determine a beam index having the largest second signal strength among the plurality of beam indices.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the signal strength,
An electronic device comprising signal to noise ratio (SNR), reference signals received power (RSRP), received signal code power (RSCP), BRSRP or RSSI (received signal strength indicator).
The method according to claim 1,
The plurality of first antenna elements comprises a patch antenna,
And the plurality of second antenna elements comprises a dipole antenna.
The method of claim 3, wherein the processor,
If the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength is less than the first threshold value, determine whether all the plurality of beam indices are selected.
And if the plurality of beam indices are all selected, configured to determine a beam index having the maximum second signal strength among the plurality of beam indices.
The method of claim 3, wherein the processor,
If the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength is less than the first threshold value, the difference between the second signal strength of the selected beam index and the second signal strength of the previous beam index is greater than or equal to a specified second threshold value. Check whether
If the difference between the second signal strength of the selected beam index and the second signal strength of the previous beam index is greater than or equal to the second threshold value, the beam index having the largest second signal strength is determined among the plurality of beam indexes. and,
And if the difference between the second signal strength of the selected beam index and the second signal strength of the previous beam index is less than the second threshold value, determine the selected beam index as a beam index with a maximum signal strength.
The method of claim 3, wherein the first antenna array includes antenna elements formed of a plurality of rows and antenna elements formed of a plurality of columns,
The processor,
If the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength is less than the first threshold value, the first beam index group having the maximum signal strength among the first beam index groups corresponding to the antenna elements formed in the row may be selected. Decide,
Determine a second beam index group having a maximum signal strength among second beam index groups corresponding to antenna elements formed in columns;
And determine a beam index having a maximum signal strength based on the determined first beam index group and the determined second beam index group.
The method of claim 3, wherein the first antenna array includes antenna elements formed in a plurality of rows and antenna elements formed in a plurality of columns,
The processor,
If the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength is less than the first threshold value, select one first beam index group from among first beam index groups corresponding to the antenna elements formed in a row;
Select one second beam index group from the second beam index groups corresponding to the antenna elements formed in columns;
If the signal strength of the selected first beam index group is greater than or equal to a specified third threshold and the signal strength of the selected second beam index group is greater than or equal to a specified fourth threshold, the selected first beam index group and the selected second; And determine a beam index with a maximum signal strength based on the beam index group.
The method according to claim 3,
Further comprising a third antenna array comprising a plurality of third antenna elements,
The processor,
If the difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength is less than the first threshold value, determine a beam index with the maximum signal strength in the first antenna array,
Determine a beam index of maximum signal strength in the third antenna array, and
And determine a beam index having a maximum signal strength among the beam index selected in the first antenna array and the beam index selected in the third antenna array.
In an electronic device,
housing;
An antenna structure comprising a first antenna array and a second antenna array; And
Operatively connected with the first antenna array and the second antenna array, and by forming a directional beam using at least a portion of the first antenna array or the second antenna array, Wireless communication circuitry configured to transmit or receive a signal having a frequency between Hertz (GHz) and 100 GHz, the wireless communication circuitry comprising:
Determine received signal strengths through a plurality of combinations of the first antenna array and the second antenna array,
Select one of the combinations based on at least a portion of the received signal strength,
Determine a first received signal strength using the second antenna array rather than the first antenna array for the selected combination,
Determine a second received signal strength using the second antenna array rather than the first antenna array for the selected combination,
And select one of the first antenna array and the second antenna array based on at least a portion of the first received signal strength and the second received signal strength.
The method according to claim 9,
And the first antenna array is on a first plane and the second antenna array is on a second plane different from the first plane.
The method according to claim 10,
And the first antenna array comprises a plurality of conductive plates and the second antenna array comprises a plurality of dipole antennas.
The method according to claim 11,
And the first antenna array is oriented to produce a beam in a first direction, and the second antenna array is oriented to generate a beam in a second direction different from the first direction.
The method according to claim 12,
And the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction.
The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the first received signal strength or the second received signal strength includes an SNR, an RSRP, an RSCP, a BRSRP, or an RSSI.
The method according to claim 13,
The first antenna array includes antenna elements formed in a plurality of rows and antenna elements formed in a plurality of columns,
The wireless communication circuit,
If the difference between the first received signal strength and the second received signal strength is less than a first threshold value, the first beam index group having the maximum signal strength among the first beam index groups corresponding to the antenna elements formed in a row To determine,
Determine a second beam index group having a maximum signal strength among second beam index groups corresponding to antenna elements formed in columns;
And determine a beam index having a maximum signal strength based on the determined first beam index group and the determined second beam index group.
In an electronic device,
housing;
An antenna structure comprising a first antenna array, a second antenna array, and a third antenna array; And
Operatively connected to the first antenna array, the second antenna array, and the third antenna array, and directional using at least a portion of the first antenna array, the second antenna array, or the third antenna array. Wireless communication circuitry configured to transmit or receive a signal having a frequency between 3 GHz and 100 GHz by forming a beam, the wireless communication circuit comprising:
Determine a strength of a received signal through a plurality of first combinations of the first antenna array and the second antenna array, and a plurality of second combinations of the first antenna array and the third antenna array;
Select one of the plurality of first combinations or the plurality of second combinations based on at least some of the received signal strengths,
Determine a first received signal strength using the second antenna array rather than the first antenna array for the selected combination,
Determine a second received signal strength using the second antenna array rather than the first antenna array for the selected combination,
And select one of the first antenna array, the second antenna array, and the third antenna array based on at least a portion of the first received signal strength and the second received signal strength.
The method according to claim 16,
And the first antenna array is on a first plane and the second antenna array is on a second plane different from the first plane.
The method according to claim 17,
And the first antenna array includes a plurality of conductive plates, and the second antenna array and the third antenna array comprise a plurality of dipole antennas.
The method according to claim 18,
The first antenna array is oriented to produce a beam in a first direction, the second antenna array is oriented to generate a beam in a second direction different from the first direction, and the third antenna array is And is oriented to produce a beam in a third direction different from the first direction and the second direction.
The method according to claim 19,
And the first received signal strength, the second received signal strength, or the third received signal strength comprises SNR, RSRP, RSCP, BRSRP, or RSSI.

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